The Violet Hour

Bernard DeVoto, American historian and author sure had a lot to say about booze in The Hour, first published in 1948, to wit: “This is the violet hour, the hour of flush and wonder, when affections glow and valor is reborn, when the shadows deepen magically along the edge of the forest and we believe that, if we watch carefully, at any moment we may see a unicorn."

I'll have what he's having.

For all I know, the hiccup of DeVoto's reverie may have been caused by one of the nearly indecent cocktails that used to materialize at Elettaria during their Violet Hour, the happy hour, when the highly skilled bartenders would stir, shake, rattle and roll with a fine precision that did indeed raise the spirits. The prices of certain drinks may have been slashed in half but I assure you, the liquor was in full battle, armed to the teeth.

Case in point: the Zombie Punch (1934) is an elusive, cryptic concoction concerning such things as Appleton’s VX, Brugal gold, 151 El Dorado Demerara Rums, Lime, Velvet Falernum, and Absinthe 14. After taking a bracing plunge into two once on a visit, I seem to remember having at least seen several unicorns, if not in fact the great Ark that left them behind, once upon a time.

Next Magazine Review - Good Stiff Ones

On at least several occasions we’ve all had a liquid lunch or drank our dinner. Lord knows I have. Here’s where to do it in stuporous style.

Good Stuff Diner (109 West 14th St @ Sixth Ave, 212-929-2555) makes a good and stiff Singapore Sling ($7.95) with its hefty pour of Bombay gin, cherry liqueur and lime, and we love it the way we love our men: strong and fruity.

Commerce (50 Commerce St, @Barrow, 212-524-2301, commercerestaurant.com) pours the best Negroni ($12) I’ve ever had! Masterfully prepared with Hendrick’s gin (itself an infusion of rose petals and cucumber), Campari and Carpano Antica sweet vermouth, it’s certainly a strong drink and may take some getting used to, but here its graced by sheer perfumed divinity and Commerce is a wonderful place to be initiated.

The Spiced Vanilla Mojito ($11) is listed as “something cool” on the menu at Smorgas Chef West Village (283 West 12th St @ West 4th Street, 212-243-7073, smorgaschef.com) but for me, this fantastic mix does the trick any time of the year. Muddled limes, ginger and mint dosed with Bacardi over crushed ice is indeed coolly refreshing, but the perverse addition of cinnamon, nutmeg, cracked black pepper and vanilla also makes me want to grab one to go and snuggle with my baby by a roaring fire.

We reveled in the hand-crafted concoctions served from the sprawling bar at Chinatown Brasserie (380 Lafayette St @ Great Jones St, 212-533-7000, chinatownbrasserie.com) while seated at our half-moon banquette underneath whimsical, overblown red lanterns. The Frozen Mai Thai ($10) with Meyer's Platinum Rum, pineapple, lime, orgeat (almond syrup) and a whiskey-soaked cherry is pure, frosty genius.

One of the classic cocktails that Elettaria (33 West 8th St @ MacDougal St, 212-677-3833, elettarianyc.com) lists on its delirious drink menu is the Zombie Punch ($14), circa 1934. I am just wild for it although not terribly familiar with most of its ingredients, to whit: Appleton’s VX, Brugal gold, 151 El Dorado Demerara Rum, lime, Velvet Falernum, and Absinthe 14. But it’s served in a tiki cup with a big straw. Further questions?

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